Covers



Jan. 8, 1963 J. BANAS 3,072,167

COVERS Filed July 18, 1960 3: JNVENTOR. i JULIAN BANAS :5 n BY ATTORNEYS 3,072,167 COVERS Julian Banas, 13311 Oak Park Blvd., Oak Park, Mich. Filed July 18, 1960, Sex. No. 43,344 3 Claims. (Cl. 150-52) My invention relates to covers for the heads of golf putters and the like and more particularly to a cover which is readily installed and removed and is self-retaining.

Golf putters are particularly subjected to damage when not in use. Being the shortest club in the golfers bag, the head is repeatedly struck and battered on inserting and removing the other clubs. Putter head covers which have been used heretofore are too easily pulled loose by the other clubs, and moreover are generally difficult to handle.

Another factor that contributes to damage of some golf putters is that the heads may be made of brass or some other readily scratched, dented and scuffed material.

An object of my invention is to prevent damage to golf putters and the like by providing an improved protective cover.

Another object of the invention is to improve protective covers for golf putters and the like by providing an easily handled cover device which is not readily loosened accidentally.

A further object of the invention is to facilitate handling of golf putters and the like by providing an elastic cover having pockets in which the putter head ends are retained.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a preferred cover on one type of putter.

FIG. 2 is an elevational View of the cover on another type of putter.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the cover as seen from the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 4--4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate a blank from which the cover is made and successive steps in the making thereof, and

PEG. 9 is an elevational view of another preferred cover on yet another type of putter.

As presently conceived, the cover of this invention is primarily adapted to the modern type of putter which has a striking head provided with oppositely projecting ends.

In FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5, such a putter 10 is illustrated as having a head provided with a toe end 12 and a heel end 13, with a shaft 14 connected intermediate the ends.

A protective cover 15 is shown in FIG. 6, as being preferably made of a rectangular piece of flexible elastic fabric, the ends being folded in first along the broken lines 15A to the position shown in FIG. 7 and stitched as indicated at 16. The fabric is then folded longitudinally along the broken line 153 to the position shown in FIG. 8 and stitched across as indicated at 17 to close the ends and then across the longitudinal edge as at 18 with a zig-zag or straight stitch, leaving an opening as at 19.

The end result is an elongated tube having ends closed at 17 and the side opening 19, leaving a pocket at each end between the ends 17 and the ends of the opening 19. Being longitudinally elastic, one end of the putter head may be inserted into one pocket and the other pocket pulled over the other end of the putter head. The length of the putter head is preferably slightly longer than the United States Patent 0 f 3,672,167 Patented Jan. 8, 1963 distance between the ends 17 so that the cover is selfholding and can not be dislodged accidentally.

The material of the pockets being double, most of the stretch occurs in the vicinity of the opening 19 intermediate the stitching lines 16. The double thickness of the pockets and the lesser amount of deformation thereof reduces the possibility of wear.

Also, the fact that the cover 15 is uniformly made eliminates any tendency to insert a putter end first into the same pocket all the time.

The ends 17 being spaced inwardly of the end edges of the cover leaves an exterior tab 20 at each end which may be manually grasped for easy removal of the cover 15.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate how the cover 15 forms around the putter head, and FIG. 2 illustrates how the same cover 15 may be used on a differently shaped putter 25. Being of fabric and elastic, the cover readily forms to many shapes.

in FIG. 9, a slightly different modification is illustrated as comprising a cover 26 contoured to the shape of the club and stitched as at 27 and 28 along the folded in edges to form the pockets. Instead of the tabs constructed as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, any of the covers may be provided with loops 29 or the like, secured to the ends of the cover as shown in FIG. 9.

These covers thus provide full protection for the golf putter head, and they are small and readily used without the necessity of using snaps, draw strings, or the like. It should be noted that although the present covers are sewn, other means could be provided for securing the material as needed. Moreover, the entire cover doesnt have to be elastic, just so the cover as a whole may be stretched longitudinally.

Although I have described only two preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A protective cover for prising (a) a sheet of longitudinally elastic material,

(b) said sheet being laterally folded on a pair of lines substantially equally spaced from the ends thereof to form a pair of substantially congruent rectangular end portions of double thickness,

(0) said end portions each being stitched on a line parallel to said fold line and closely adjacent the inwardly facing edge thereof to thereby double the thickness of material in the end regions of said sheet,

(d) said sheet being longitudinally folded on a line substantially half way between the sides thereof to form a pair of substantially congruent rectangular side portions,

(2) said end portions each being stitched together closely adjacent the edge to form a paid of coaxial, spaced pockets opening toward each other and side opening extending between said pockets.

2. A protective cover for a golf putter having an elongated head portion and a handle aflixed intermediate and spaced from the ends thereof, comprising (a) a longitudinal straightsided sheet of material having end portions thicker than a center portion extending between the end portions, at least said center portion being longitudinally elastic,

(b) said end portions being stitched along lines extending laterally between the side edges and disposed closely adjacent the junctures with said center portion,

(c) said sheet being folded on a longitudinal line midgolf putters and the like, com- 3. 7 way between and parallel with said side edges to form a pair of congruent side panels,

(d) the end edges of said panels being stitched together along laterally extending lines parallel to and spaced from the end edges an amount sufficient to permit manual grasping of the ends of said cover, and

(e) the side edges of each of said end portions being stitched together,

(1) whereby to form a pair of longitudinally spaced coaxial pockets opening toward each other and adapted to receive the ends of said putter head portion, and a side opening between said pockets adapted for protrusion therethrough of the aflixed putter handle.

3. The cover as defined in claim 1 and in which (a) the end portions each are stitched together along laterally extending lines parallel to and spaced from the ends of the cover to permit manual grasping of the ends of said cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Graveure Dec. 13, Johnson Oct. 17, Bucklin Mar. 31, Johnson June 29, Lauretti June 17, Clark Jan. 29,

FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Oct. 8, Great Britain Sept. 18, 

1. A PROTECTIVE COVER FOR GOLF PUTTERS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING (A) A SHEET OF LONGITUDINALLY ELASTIC MATERIAL, (B) SAID SHEET BEING LATERALLY FOLDED ON A PAIR OF LINES SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY SPACED FROM THE ENDS THEREOF TO FORM A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONGRUENT RECTANGULAR END PORTIONS OF DOUBLE THICKNESS, (C) SAID END PORTIONS EACH BEING STITCHED ON A LINE PARALLEL TO SAID FOLD LINE AND CLOSELY ADJACENT THE INWARDLY FACING EDGE THEREOF TO THEREBY DOUBLE THE THICKNESS OF MATERIAL IN THE END REGIONS OF SAID SHEET, (D) SAID SHEET BEING LONGITUDINALLY FOLDED ON A LINE SUBSTANTIALLY HALF WAY BETWEEN THE SIDES THEREOF TO FORM A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONGRUENT RECTANGULAR SIDE PORTIONS, (E) SAID END PORTIONS EACH BEING STITCHED TOGETHER CLOSELY ADJACENT THE EDGE TO FORM A PAID OF COAXIAL, SPACED POCKETS OPENING TOWARD EACH OTHER AND SIDE OPENING EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID POCKETS. 